Rosamund King Everard-Steenkamp is believed to have been the first woman to ever pilot a jet engine.

However her life was tragically cut short in a Spitfire crash in Bewdley on March 19th 1946. This year marked the 70th anniversary of the tragic crash in Buttonoak which claimed the life of the 32 year old.

The pilot was delivering a Spitfire XIV from Hamble to Ercall when, for no apparent reason, she dived, levelled out at about 10 metres and crashed into woods at high speed, killing her instantly.

Kidderminster aviation enthusiast, Ray Manton, owns pieces of the crashed plane. Speaking to the Evesham Journal, he said: “The plane had engine failure and crashed in the local woods near Bewdley. She is buried at Maidenhead Cemetery.

“Rosamund King Everard-Steenkamp was an RAF Pilot. She was also a musician and a talented artist so she was quite a lady.

“Apparently, she was also the first women in the world to fly a jet powered plane and also the first woman to pilot a Spitfire.

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the tragic crash and there’s probably quite a number of people here are probably not aware of this bit of Bewdley history.

“I have actual debris from the plane that crashed. This was given to me many years ago by a friend who recovered several pieces from the crash site at Button Oak.”